Inking devices



p 1957 s. N. ROSENTHAL 2,805,641

INKING DEVICES Filed March 19, 1956 INVENTOR. L 9 SIDNEY N. ROSENTHAL ATTORNEYS United States Patent INKING DEVICES Sidney N. Rosenthal, Richmond Hill, N. Y. Application March 19, 1956, Serial No. 572,517

' 2 Claims. or. 118-265) This application relates to inking devices, and more particularly for inking devices for felt nib pens, and especially to an inking device designed for use with nonvolatile ink of the opaque type.

A specific object of the present invention is tov provide an inking device for a felt nib pen adapted to be used with opaque ink which ink has a tendency to clog the pores of felt sponges and wicks and the like. 7

Still further objects of the present invention may best be understood upon reference to the appended drawings and related specifications. In these drawings:

Fig. l is an elevation section view of one embodiment.

Fig. 2 is a top view of Fig. 1, but drawn to a smaller scale.

Fig. 3 shows an elevation of figure 2 with the pen inserted.

Referring to the drawings, it will be observed that Fig. 1 shows an inking device for a felt nibbed pen comprising an ink container 9 having an open top adapted to close by a cover 10 which may be of the friction strip or screw type as desired, with said cover having an opening 11 surrounded by a sleeve 12 secured to, and projecting upwardly from, the cover. Within said sleeve a slidable tubular piston 13 is inserted. A felt nib pen 14 may be inserted through the slidable piston 13 with the nib 15 of the pen projecting down through the opening 11 in the cover.

Under said opening 11, and arranged to contact the nib, is a sponge in the form of a block of sponge rubber or the like fitted within a flat cup 21 having openings 22 and integrally secured to a coiled spring support 23 with the parts 20, 21, and 23 being secured to one another as described, to form a unitary insert in the container 9.

Disclosed with the container 9 is an inverted cup-shaped splash shield over and surrounding the sponge and support unit, 20, 21, and 23. This shield is spaced from the container side walls and cover 10 and is normally closed at its bottom by a cover 31 having openings 32 therein.

The container 9 is normally filled with ink to a level approximately as indicated at 33.

Normally the parts are in the position shown with sponge 20 pressed against an opening 34 in the splash shield 30. The tubular piston 13 extends through the opening 34 and rests upon the top of sponge 20. Likewise, normally, a pen 14 is seated within the sleeve 12 with the pen nib 15 in contact with the sponge 20. With the parts in this position, the pen 14 seals the sleeve 12 and thus, there is a minimum of air exposure to the interior of the container 9, and to the sponge 20 and to the ink 33.

When the pen is to be prepared for use, piston 13 is pressed down and released several times so that the piston presses down on sponge 20 to compress spring 23. Ink then fiows through the openings 22 and saturates the sponge 20, and in turn, saturates and moistens with ink the felt nib 15 to prepare such nib for use. In such compression action, which may be repeated more than once, the ink within the container 9 is agitated by the up and Patented Sept. 10, 1957 down movement of the sponge and the related parts. This agitation stirs up the pigment particles suspended within the ink and prepares the ink for use. Further, this agitating action insures a supply of clean, mixed ink saturating the sponge and flowing to the pen nib.

It can be seen that release of pressure on the piston permits the sponge to return to its normal position due to the force of the compressedspring.

The splash shield 30 is provided for preventing the ink, which is splashed within it, from being splashed to the imperfect seal between the cover 10 and the container 9, a seal which is, at best, not perfect, but which in the case of a friction fit cover, is quite imperfect. In addition a felt pad 35 is positioned between the shield 30 and the cover 9 to fill the space therebetween and to absorb splashing ink. Note that the piston fits through an opening 36 in this felt pad.

It will be observed that the splash shield 30 with its cover 31 and the sponge 20 with its supports 21 and 23 together form a replaceable unit within the container 9 whenever it is desired to replace the parts by a fresh sponge 20.

The pad 35 improves the sealing action of the sponge and likewise stops the splashing ink within the shield 30 from passing through the sleeve 12, the opening 11, and the imperfect seal between cover 10 and container 9.

In order to provide for easy manipulation of the container, a handle 40 is secured to the container in any suitable manner.

It will also be observed that the up and down movement of the sponge and its associated parts within the container, not only will agitate the ink, but will also mix the pigment in the ink, and at the same time, saturate the sponge with freshly agitated and mixed ink. Also, the sponge limits the transfer of ink to the pen nib, and prevents excessive wetting of that nib, and the sponge further insures that the ink is wetted with a supply of freshly agitated and freshly mixed ink each time the piston is pressed down on the sponge as described.

This invention may be further developed within the scope of the following claims. Accordingly, it is desired that the foregoing description be read as being illustrative of one operative embodiment of my invention and not in a strictly limiting sense.

Having described an operative embodiment of my invention, I now claim:

1. A plunger type felt nib pen holding and inking device comprising an outer container having an open top, a cover therefor having an opening therein; an inverted cup shaped splash shield loosely fitted in the container and having an opening in the inverted cup bottom aligned with said cover opening, said shield being spaced from the side walls and cover of the container, a sponge under the shield opening and spring pressed into contact with the cup bottom to close the opening therein, a tubular pen well and piston inserted through the container opening and cup opening to contact the sponge, whereby downward pressure on the piston while a pen remains therein will force the sponge down into the cup to thereby agitate ink placed into the container and simultaneously saturate the sponge.

2. A plunger type felt nib pen holding and inking device comprising an outer container having an open top, a cover therefor having an opening therein, a sleeve surrounding said opening and projecting upwardly from the cover, a tubular pen well and piston in said sleeve, and a unitary anti-splash and plunger assembly in said container, under said piston, and spaced from the container sides, and an annular pad between said cover and said assembly, said assembly comprising an inverted cup shaped anti-splash member having a top opening under said piston and receiving it, sides extending down towards the con- ReferencesCitedrin the file of this'patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,523,869 Rosenthal Sept. 26,19 50- 10 2,620,805 Page et a1 Dec. 9, 1952: 2,629,359 Rosenthel Feb, 24, 1953 4:.- FOREIGN PATENTS GreatBritalin June 8,1889 Germany Apr. 5, 1910 Germany Apr. 17, 1914 Italy Dec. 21, 1950 

